Error Messages
Fill out the "Diagnostics Checklist" on page 163 as you complete these checks.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in the Product Information Guide.
If the message is not listed, see the documentation for the operating system or the program that was running when the message appeared.
A U X I L I A R Y D E V I C E F A I L U R E — The touch pad or external mouse may be faulty. For an external mouse, check the cable connection. Enable the Pointing Device option in the system setup program (see "Dell Technical Support Policy (U.S. Only)" on page 173). If the problem persists, contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 164).
B A D C O M M A N D O R F I L E N A M E — Ensure that you have spelled the command correctly, put spaces in the proper place, and used the correct pathname.
C A C H E D I S A B L E D D U E T O F A I L U R E — The primary cache internal to the microprocessor has failed. Contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 164).
CD D R I V E C O N T R O L L E R F A I L U R E — The CD drive does not respond to commands from the computer (see "Drive Problems" on page 94).
D A T A E R R O R — The hard drive cannot read the data (see "Drive Problems" on page 94).
D E C R E A S I N G A V A I L A B L E M E M O R Y — One or more memory modules may be faulty or improperly seated. Reinstall the memory modules and, if necessary, replace them (see "Memory" on page 137).
D I S K C: F A I L E D I N I T I A L I Z A T I O N — The hard drive failed initialization. Run the hard drive tests in the Dell Diagnostics (see "Dell Diagnostics" on page 87).
D R I V E N O T R E A D Y — The operation requires a hard drive in the bay before it can continue. Install a hard drive in the hard drive bay (see "Hard Drive" on page 129).
E R R O R R E A D I N G PCMCIA C A R D — The computer cannot identify the ExpressCard. Reinsert the card or try another card (see "Using ExpressCards" on page 67).
E X T E N D E D M E M O R Y S I Z E H A S C H A N G E D — The amount of memory recorded in
NVRAM does not match the memory installed in the computer. Restart the computer. If the error appears again, contact Dell (see "Contacting Dell" on page 164).
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Troubleshooting
